The Price of Magick



     The crisp air, sunny days, and cool nights of October give us pause to reflect during this very active season. Magick is, indeed, in the air. We need to consider what that means to us personally. It's good to know spells to help you improve your life as you go about your daily business; however, few stop to consider the cost of doing magic.  To think you can use magick alone to change your life is a fallacy.  We all have the most precious gift of Free Will.  And to choose kindness and love over greed and fear is our real magick.   Everyone of us are magickal beings, children of Divinity and every choice we make should reflect that.
     Energy manipulation (spellcraft) can have the same effect on you as when you stretch your muscles while exercising, or stretch your brain while thinking of solutions to problems. All can make you quite tired and, over time, deplete your energy. Consistently overdoing something may leave a permanent impairment. Using spellcrafting constantly, without developing your other skills, can harm you. We also have to remember Karmic law.  There is nothing that we ever do that does not have some repercusions- good and bad.  The most important components in magick are wisdom and balance and focus.  Just because you are capable of energy manipulation doesn't mean it's always the best way.  The example I can give you here is Love Magick. No matter what we beilieve personally, they are the most sought sfter spells.  How many times have we heard of this backfiring.  Using spellcraft on the object of one's affextion..only to find.. a)this person is NOT what you need and want..and now you are stuck with him/her...b)to do a "love spell" on a specific person is unethical, because it intentionally violates their free will..and honestly, I don't think it could work on someone who is totally uninterested in you.
    Magickal work has ethics.. harm none and do as ye will..sound familiar?
Sounds simple but look again!! "harm none" - as witches, we believe that our actions will come back to us. If you put a curse on someone, you are likely to face some negative consequences down the road. Beyond the effects of individual karma, we also believe in the interconnectedness of all beings, in which harm done to one is harm done to all.
At the same time, it is impossible to live without harming anyone. For one thing, we all eat beings (plants or animals) that had to die in order to feed us. For another, sometimes doing magick to help yourself (e.g. get a job) will inadvertently harm someone else (who therefore doesn't get the job). We cannot avoid these contradictions; we have to face them squarely and accept the consequences of our actions.  Essentially, magickal ethics are no different than regular ethics. Would you beat someone up if they made you angry? No? Then don't curse them to make them suffer. Would you try to bribe a prospective employer to get a job? No? Then don't work magick on someone else to make them hire you.
     It is also important to remember that sometimes, magick isn't the best approach. Generally, the time to use magick is when you have already exhausted all possible non-magickal ways of accomplishing your goal. For example, if you and a friend had an argument, doing a spell to create harmony between you is not the first thing you should try. The best approach would be to sit down with your friend when you are both feeling calmer, and try to talk it through.
   The most difficult - and most important - thing to learn about magick is when NOT to use it.
     Depending on spellcrafting to be your only talent will inevitably leave you lacking in other areas of your life. Make sure your studies and use of multiple talents will keep you well balanced and grounded. The key words here are wisdom balance.
      Magic comes from within. To understand and work magic effectively, that requires that you understand yourself and the power within yourself. They go hand in hand. It seems to me that a lot of people forget that the first item on the "Goals of a Witch" is "Know thyself." That's not just a religious concept. It's a magical one. You cannot understand magic if you cannot understand the source (yourself). And you certainly can't work magic effectively until you understand it.
     When you use magick you are using a lot of energy - your own energy and the earth's energy - and you are also affecting existing energy patterns in your life and maybe in other people's lives. And when you use magick, you can never be sure what all the consequences will be (short-term or long-term). So you'd better be sure that it's for a good reason and that you're willing to accept the consequences.

Legend and Lore for October

  Legends and Lore for October

 

 

 

 

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October, the tenth month of the current Gregorian calendar and the second month of Autumn's rule, derives its name from octo, the Latin word meaning "eight," as October was the eighth month of the old Roman calendar.
The traditional birthstone amulets of October are opal, rose sapphire, and tourmaline; and the calendula is the month's traditional flower.
October is shared by the astrological signs of Libra the Scales (or Balance) and Scorpio the Scorpion, and is sacred to the following Pagan deities: Cernunnos, Hecate, the Morrigan, Osiris, and the Wiccan Goddess in Her dark aspect as the Crone.
During the month of October, the Great Solar Wheel of the Year is turned to Halloween (Samhain Eve), one of the four Grand Sabbats celebrated each year by Wiccans and modern Witches throughout the world.

 

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October 1
On this date (approximately), hundreds of thousands of Muslims make a pilgrimage to the city of Mecca to kiss and touch the Black Stone (one of the original building blocks of a veiled shrine) and to worship their god Allah. They then drink some water from the nearby sacred Well of Ishmael, and journey up into the hills of Safa and Marwa to recite prayers.

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October 2
Guiding Spirits Day. On this day, light a white candle on you altar and give thanks to your spirit guide (or guides) for guarding over you and guiding you through your spiritual development. If you wish to communicated with or meet your spirit guide, use a Ouija board or, through prayer, invite the spirit guide to come to you in a dream or in a trance.

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October 3
On this date (approximately), a Cementation and Propitiation Festival was once celebrated by the Native American tribe of the Cherokee. The purpose of the festival was to remove the barriers between the Cherokee people and the deities they worshiped.

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October 4
On this date in ancient Rome, a day of feasting known as the Jejunium Cereris was observed in honor of Ceres (Mother Earth), the corn-goddess and protectress of agriculture and all fruits of the Earth.

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October 5
The Festival of the Old Woman (Nubaigai) is celebrated annually on this date by farm workers in Lithuania. The last sheaf of grain is dressed up as a woman and a festival of feasting, merriment, and games is held to honor the goddess of the corn.
In the country of Rumania, the Dionysiad wine festival was held annually on this date in honor of Dionysus, Ariadne, and the Maenads.

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October 6
On this date, an annual nine-day religious festival begins in Nepal to honor the great Hindu god Vishnu and to celebrate his awakening on a bed of serpents. As part of an ancient tradition, secret offerings are made to the god and placed in unripe pumpkins.

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October 7
In the fifteenth century, peasants in Germany celebrated a week-long festival called the Kermesse. A Pagan icon (or some other sacred object) would be unearthed from its yearlong burial spot and then paraded through the village on top of gaily decorated pole. After a week of feasting, dancing, and games, the villagers would dress up in their mourning attire and rebury the icon in its grave, where it would remain until the next year's Kermesse.
On this date in the year 1909, famous author and Gardnerian Witch Arnold Crowther was born in Kent, England. He was initiated into the Craft in 1960 by Patricia Dawson, whom he later married. He passed away on Beltane-sabbath in the year 1974.

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October 8
On this day, an annual good luck festival called Chung Yeung Day (the Festival of High Places) is celebrated in China. Traditionally good omen kites are flown to carry away evil spirits. The festival also commemorates an ancient Chinese scholar named Huan Ching who, upon heeding the warning of a soothsayer, escaped with his family and friends high into the hills and thereby avoided a mysterious plague of death which swept through the village below, killing every living thing in sight.

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October 9
Day of Felicitas. A festival celebrating the ancient Roman goddess of luck and good fortune was held annually on this date in many parts of Italy. For many Wiccans and modern Witches, it is a time for casting spells and making amulets to attract good luck or to end a streak of bad luck.

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October 10
Throughout the country of Brazil, the annual Festival of Light begins on this date. The centuries-old festival, which is celebrated for two consecutive weeks, includes a parade of penance and the lighting of candles, torches, and hearth-fires to symbolically drive away the spirits of darkness who bring evil and misfortune.

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October 11
Every year on this date, Witches in the countries of Denmark and Germany honor the Old Lady of the Elder Trees, an ancient Pagan spirit who dwells within and watches over each and every tree of the elder family. Before cutting any branches to use as magic wands, a libation of elderberry wine is poured onto the tree's roots and a special prayer is recited.

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October 12
On this date in the year 1875, famous occultists and ceremonial magician Aleister Crowley was born in Warwickshire, England. He authored many popular and controversial books on the subject of magic, and was notorious for his rites of sex magic, ceremonial sorcery, and blood sacrifices. Crowley often referred to himself as the Beast of the Apocalypse and was nicknamed The Wickedest Man in the world by the news media and by many who knew him personally. He died on December 1, 1947, and after his cremation, his ashes were shipped to his followers in the United States of America.
Also on this date in the year 1888, famous ceremonial magician and occult author Eliphas Levi died.

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October 13
On this date in the year 1917, the Goddess in the guise of the Virgin Mary made her final visit (as promised earlier that year) to three children in the Portuguese town of Fatima. She revealed many predictions to the children, and a crowd of over 70,000 pilgrims who gathered for the miraculous event witnessed a strange object--resembling a huge silver disk blazing with colored flames--fly through the sky.

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October 14
Each year on this date, the planets of the Milky Way galaxy are honored and celebrated by an event known as Interplanetary Confederation Day.
In Bangladesh, an annual festival called Durga Puja is celebrated on this day to commemorate the great Mother-Goddess Durga and her triumph over the forces of evil.

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October 15
On this date in ancient Rome, a sacred harvest festival dedicated to the god Mars was celebrated with a chariot race, followed by the sacrifice of the slowest horse. (Before becoming a god of battle, Mars was originally a deity associated with fertility and agriculture).

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October 16
Each year on this date, the Festival of the Goddess of Fortune (Lakshmi Puji) is celebrated in Nepal. The goddess Lakshmi is honored with prayers, sacred chants, and offerings of flower petals and fragrant incense.

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October 17
Once a year on this date, the Japanese Shinto ceremony of Kan-name-Sai (God Tasting Event) takes place. The ancient goddess of the Sun and other imperial ancestors are honored with an offering of rice from the season's first crop.

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October 18
In England, the Great Horned Fair takes place annually on this day to celebrate the wondrous powers of nature and fertility. Many Pagans and Wiccans (especially of the Gardnerian tradition) perform a special ceremony on this day in honor of Cernunnos, the Horned God of hunting, fertility, and wild animals. He is also the consort of the Goddess, and a symbol of the male principle. At this time, many priests of Wiccan covens perform a sacred ritual called Drawing Down the Sun.

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October 19
On this day, an annual fair called Bettara-Ichi ("Sticky-Sticky Fair") is held in Tokyo, Japan near the sacred shrine of the god Ebisu. Children carry sticky pickled radishes tied to straw ropes through the streets in order to chase away evil spirits and to receive blessings from the seven Shinto gods of good luck.

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October 20
On this date in the year 1949, Wiccan priestess and spiritual healer Selena Fox was born in Arlington, Virginia. In 1974, with the help of Jim Alan and a small group of Neo-Pagan friends, she formed Circle Sanctuary in Wisconsin. She is known as one of the leading religious-freedom activists in the Wiccan and Neo-Pagan movements.

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October 21
In the former Czechoslovakia, an annual festival known as the Day of Ursala is held on this date in honor Ursala, the ancient lunar goddess of Slavic mythology who
later became Saint Ursala.

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October 22
In Japan, the purifying Festival of Fire (Hi Matsuri) is celebrated annually on this night. A traditional torchlight procession parades through the streets of Kurama and ends at a sacred shrine, where the ancient gods are believed to return to Earth at the stroke of midnight.

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October 23
On this date (approximately), the Sun enters the astrological sign of Scorpio. Persons born under the sign of the Scorpion are said to be magnetic, psychic, imaginative, mysterious, and often prone to jealous obsessions. Scorpio is a water sign and is ruled by the planets Mars and Pluto.

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October 24
On this day, many Wiccans from around the world celebrate the annual Feast of the Spirits of Air. Incense is offered up to the Sylphs (who often take the form of butterflies), and rituals involving dreams and/or the powers of the mind are performed.
This day is sacred to Arianrhod, Cardea, Dione, Diti, Gula, Lilith, Maat,
Minerva, and Sophia.

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October 25
Shoemaker's Day is celebrated annually on this date in honor of Saint Crispin, the patron of shoemakers who was beheaded in the third century A.D. According to legend, a new pair of shoes bought on this day will bring good luck and prosperity to their owner.

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October 26
Birthday of the Earth. According to the calculations of a seventeenth century Anglican archbishop, the Earth was created on this date in the year 4004 BC.
On this date in the year 1440, Giles de Rais (one of the most notorious necromancers in history) was hanged in France as punishment for practicing black magic and making human sacrifices to the Devil, among other crimes.

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October 27
Allan Apple Day. In Cornwall, England, an old Pagan method of love divination is traditionally performed each year on this day. A single gentleman or lady who wishes to see his or her future spouse must sleep with an Allan apple under his or her pillow, then get out of bed before the crack of dawn the next day. The person then waits under a tree for the first person of the opposite sex to walk by. According to the legend, the passerby will be the future marriage mate.

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October 28
In ancient times, the Phoenician sun-god Baal of the Heavens was honored annually on or around this date. He presided over nature and fertility, and was associated with Winter rain. Sacred sun-symbolizing bonfires were lit in his honor by his worshipers in Syria. Depicted as a warrior with a horned helmet and spear, he was once worshipped as the principal god on Earth for thousands of years.
In ancient Egypt, a series of Autumn ceremonies for the goddess Isis began each year on this date. They lasted for six consecutive days.

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October 29
On this date in the year 1939, ceremonial magician and occult author Frater Zarathustra was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Frater founded the Temple of Truth in 1972 and was publisher and editor of the White Light (a magazine of ceremonial magic) from 1973 until it ceased publication in 1990.
On this day, the Native American tribe of the Iroquois celebrate their annual Feast of the Dead to honor the souls of departed loved ones.

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October 30
Each year on this date, the Angelitos festival is held in Mexico to bless the souls of deceased children and to honor Xipe-Totec (the ancient god of death) and Tonantzin (the Guadualupe goddess of mercy).
On this day, write a secret wish on a piece of dried mandrake root. Burn it at the stroke of midnight in a fireproof container and then go outside and cast the ashes to the wind as you say thrice: "Spirits of fire, spirits of air; grant this secret wishing-prayer. Let the ashes of this spell, fix this midnight magic well."

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October 31
Halloween (also known as Samhain Eve, Hallowmas, All Hallow's Eve, All Saint's Eve, Festival of the Dead, and the Third Festival of Harvest).
Every year on this day, the most important of the eight Witches' Sabbats is celebrated by Wiccans throughout the world with traditional Pagan feasts, bonfires, and rituals to honor the spirits of deceased loved ones. The divinatory arts of scrying and rune-casting are traditionally practiced by Wiccans on this magickal night, as in standing before a mirror and making a secret wish.
The last night of October was the ancient Celt's New Year's Eve. It marked the end of the Summer and the beginning of Winter (also known as the dark half of the year).
In many parts of the world, special cakes and food are prepared for the dead on this night.
In Ireland, a Halloween festival is celebrated annually for the ancient Pagan goddess Tara.
This day is sacred to the goddesses Cerridwen, Eurydice, Hecate, Hel, Inanna, Kali, the Morrigan, Nephthys, Oya, Samia, Sedna, Tara, and Vanadis. On this day in the year 1970, the Parks Department of New York granted the Witches International Craft Associates (W.I.C.A.) a permit to hold a "Witch-in". The event was held in Sheep Meadow and more than one thousand persons attended.

 

 

About Calendula..Medicinal and Magickal and More

Cheery Calendula Spell

Spell Date: Thursday, October 11, 2012

 

 

Color of the day: Green

Incense of the day: Carnation

Calendulas are associated with the Sun and the element of Fire. According to the language of flowers, the calendula has the message of constancy, cheer, and hope. These flowers are easily grown in the garden or picked up at a local florist.
Try a little flower fascination today and see what new positive things you can bring into your world.
Gather together a little bouquet of calendulas and tie them with a pretty autumn colored ribbon. Take them to work, or display them in a prominent place in your home, and cheer everyone up!

Enchant the flowers with this verse:

"Calendulas bring affection and constancy,

Weave your subtle floral magic all around me.

Fresh autumn flowers do brighten up everyone's day,

Work your magic for all in the best possible way.

Blessed be."

 

 

Calendula is also called marigold

Other Names:

bride of the sun, butterwort, cowbloom, death-flower, drunkard gold, fior d’ogni (Italian), gold bloom, husband’s dial, kingscup, maravilla, marybud, marigold, poet’s marigold, pot marigold, Mejorana (Spanish), publican and sinner, Ringelblume (German), summer’s bride, sun’s bride, water dragon, yolk of egg.

Note: Don’t be confused! Calendula is not the same as the common garden or French marigold ( Tagetes ), African marigold ( T. erecta ), or Inca marigold ( T. minuta ).

---Parts Used---The flowers and leaves. Leaves. - Gather only in fine weather, in the morning, after the dew has been dried by the sun. Flowers. - The ray florets are used and need quick drying in the shade, in a good current of warm air, spread out on sheets of paper, loosely, without touching each other, or they will become discoloured.

---Medicinal Action and Uses---Marigold is chiefly used as a local remedy. Its action is stimulant and diaphoretic. Given internally, it assists local action and prevents suppuration. The infusion of 1 ounce to a pint of boiling water is given internally, in doses of a tablespoonful, and externally as a local application. It is useful in chronic ulcer, varicose veins, etc. Was considered formerly to have much value as an aperient and detergent in visceral obstructions and jaundice. It has been asserted that a Marigold flower, rubbed on the affected part, is an admirable remedy for the pain and swelling caused by the sting of a wasp or bee. A lotion made from the flowers is most useful for sprains and wounds, and a water distilled from them is good for inflamed and sore eyes. An infusion of the freshly-gathered flowers is employed in fevers, as it gently promotes perspiration and throws out any eruption - a decoction of the flowers is much in use in country districts to bring out smallpox and measles, in the same manner as Saffron. Marigold flowers are in demand for children's ailments. The leaves when chewed at first communicate a viscid sweetness, followed by a strong penetrating taste, of a saline nature. The expressed juice, which contains the greater part of this pungent matter, has been given in cases of costiveness and proved very efficacious. Snuffed up the nose it excites sneezing and a discharge of mucous from the head. The leaves, eaten as a salad, have been considered useful in the scrofula of children, and the acrid qualities of the plant have caused it to be recommended as an extirpator of warts. A yellow dye has also been extracted from the flower, by boiling.
Calendula flowers, when rubbed directly into a bee sting, will relieve the pain of the injury

INDICATIONS: irregular menses, fever, erruptive diseases (eg measles, chicken pox), externally for burns, rashes, sore nipples, diaper rash, gastric and duodenal ulcers, dysmenorrhea,  PRECAUTIONS: considered completely safe  CONSTITUENTS: essential oil containing carotenoids (caroene, calenduline, lycopine)(see below), also triterpenes, pentacyclic alcohols such as faradol, anidiol, calenduladiol, heliantriol, flavonoids, isorhamnetin clycosides including narcissin and quercitin, chlorogenic acid, a saponin, resin, and bitter principle.  PREPARATION AND USE:
-3-6 grams in infusion
-1 tsp in 1 cup boiling water three times daily
-cold infused oil or aqueous infusion are used in creams and lotions for burns and rashes  NUTRITIONAL USE: often used as a decorative edible flower in salads

Magical Uses of Calendula

Calendula is used for prophetic dreams and to increase latent or minor psychic powers. Scattering the leaves under the bed is believed to bring dreams to the sleepers

Planet: Sun

Element: Fire

USE IN MAGIC: Protection, Prophetic dreams, Legal matters, Psychic powers
- picked at noon when the sun is strongest, will strengthen and comfort the heart
- hung over doors to prevent evil from entering
- scattered under bed to protect during sleep
- make dreams come true
- help you dream the identity of one who has robbed you
- added to bath water to win respect and admiration
- carried in pocket to help win justice in legal matters
- if a girl touches the petals of marigold with bare feet, she will understand the language of the birds
- looking at the flowers strengthens the heart
- oil (made by maceration) or an incense of the petals is used in consecrating magical tools
- often used in rituals to honour the Goddess, and especially at Beltane
- blossoms collected when the Moon is in Virgo may help you have visions of those who have robbed you ro wish to harm you.
- an infusion with marjoram, thume, and absinthe may help you to visions of your beloved

USE IN PERSONAL GROWTH:
-helps one feel the joy of doing one's lifework
-helps one recognise the comfort and security of knowing we are all given all the talents we need.
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- "I experience the pure joy of knowing I am all I need to be."

 

THE ESSENTIAL OIL

CONSTITUENTS: Is actually an absolute obtained by solvent extraction from the flowers. Contains CALENDULIN (a yellow resin), waxes, and a small amount of volatile oil

AROMATHERAPY USES: burns, cuts, eczema, greasy skin, inflammation, insect bites, rashes, wounds. The infused oil can be a valuable carrier for aromatherapeutic skin products.

USE IN MAGIC: Health, Psychic dreams, Comfort - strengthens and maintains health
- strengthens sight
- sniff the aroma at night to induce psychic dreams
- offers comfort to the weary and distressed

THE FLOWER ESSENCE

POSITIVE QUALITIES: Healing warmth and receptivity, especially in the use of the spoken word and in dialogue with others.
 
PATTERNS OF IMBALANCE: Tendency to use cutting or sharp words, prone to argumentativeness, lack of receptivity in communication with others. "The Calendula flower imparts a warm, golden light of healing for those souls who must learn to use "the Word" as a truly creative spiritual force. The Word is the source of all creation, ever renewing itself through the womb of Nature. Thus Calendula is also known as "Mary's Gold"; for the golden sun-radiance of the Word must be birthed through the receptive feminine matrix. In every human communication there is always this masculine and feminine polarity, of that which is spoken and that which is heard, or received. Calendula flower essence helps those whose innate creative potential to use the spoken word often deteriorates into argument and misunderstanding. It is especially indicated for personal relationship work, and for all healing and teaching work when the art of communication must be intensively developed as a soul force. Calendula gives great forces of warmth and benign compassion to the human soul; especially helping to balance the active and receptive modes of communication. "

 

Other Uses:

*Simmer massive amounts of calendula for a long period of time, replacing the flowers periodically, to produce a lovely yellow dye.
*Feed laying chickens calendula flowers and the egg yolks will be a deep yellow color.
*Use in a footbath on swollen feet or as an eyewash on sore, tired eyes.
*Use a calendula tincture as hair rinse to reduce dandruff.
*Plant in the garden to repel pests and attract beneficial insects.
*Great for dry and fresh flower arrangements.
*Sprinkle petals or young leaves over a salad, or add petals to soups for a nice added color and some extra vitamins.
*Mash calendula into a paste with some water and massage onto areas with varicose veins to reduce their severity.
*Petals can be used to color homemade butter and cheese, as they were used in the 17-1800s.
*Use as a substitute for saffron—it’s cheaper…

A note on baby’s butts…Chamomile, Lavender, Yarrow and Calendula infused oil is fantastic for preventing and healing diaper rash. There are many such combinations of these herbs (either as infused oils, tinctures, powders, washes, etc) in addition to other herbs and essential oils that can be used in a variety of ways for infants.

 

RECIPES

Calendula Souffle
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
6 eggs
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
dash nutmeg
1/2 pound sharp Cheddar, cut into small pieces
10 ounces cream cheese, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup calendula petals

Spread butter inside a 5 cup souffle dish. Sprinkle with the 2
tablespoons Parmesan.

Beat eggs, 1/4 cup Parmesan, half and half, mustard, salt, cayenne
and nutmeg in a blender until smooth. While motor is still running,
add Cheddar piece by piece, then the cream cheese. Pour into
prepared dish and stir in calendula petals.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes at 375F, or until top is golden brown
and slightly cracked. Serve immediately, garnishing with more
calendula blossoms.

Calendula Wine

2 oz. dried calendula petals
1 lb 14 oz granulated sugar
4 tsp acid blend
1 finely crushed and dissolved Campden tablet
7-1/2 pts water
1-1/2 tsp yeast nutrient
1 sachet Lalvin EC-1118 wine yeast
Put 3 pints water on to boil. Dissolve sugar in water. Put petals in nylon straining bag with 3-4 glass marbles, tie closed and put in primary. Pour boiling water over petals. Add remaining water, acid blend and yeast nutrient. Cover primary and set aside to cool. When at room temperature, add Campden tablet (finely crushed and dissolved in some water), recover primary, and set aside for 10-12 hours. Add activated yeast. Recover primary. When specific gravity drops to 1.015 or lower, transfer to secondary fermentation vessel and attach airlock. Recipe makes slightly more than one gallon so put extra in small sanitized bottle (use later for topping up) and attach airlock (#3 bung fits all wine bottles down to 125 mL). Wait until all fermentation ceases and airlock is still for two weeks, then rack into clean secondary, top up and refit airlock. Wait additional 30 days and add another finely crushed and dissolved Campden tablet and 1/3 teaspoon potassium sorbate to clean secondary, rack wine onto it, top up and refit airlock. Wait 30 days, sweeten to 1.006 s.g. or to taste, and bottle. Wait two months before tasting for bouquet to develop.
From http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/request221.asp 

 

Calendula Fruit Bread
3 eggs
2/3 C. vegetable oil
3 C. unbleached white flour
2 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
2 C. grated apple
2 C. toasted, chopped walnuts
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 C. currants
2 tsp. baking soda
2 C. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 C. loosely packed calendula blossoms
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 x 5″ loaf pans. In a bowl mix flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Blend well. Combine eggs, oil, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat until well blended and frothy. Add dry mixture to egg mixture, stir. Mix fruit, nuts and calendula blossoms into batter & stir just until blended. Pour into loaf pans and bake for about 1 hr, 35 min. You may pour 4 Tbs rum or brandy over loaf while warm if desired. Can be frozen, or allowed to age for a week in refrigerator.


Calendula Custard
2 cups milk
1/3 cup unsprayed calendula petals
1/4 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. sugar
1 to 2-inch piece vanilla bean
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. rose water
Heavy whipped cream
Using a clean mortar and pestle, pound marigold petals or crush them with a fork. Mix the salt, sugar and spices together. Scald milk with the marigolds and the vanilla bean. Remove the vanilla bean and add the slightly beaten yolks and dry ingredients. Cook on low heat. When the mixture coats a spoon, add rose water and cool.
Top with whipped cream, garnish with fresh marigold petals (optional).

Contraindications:

Calendula is generally considered safe for topical application. It should not be applied to an open wound without a doctor’s supervision. People who are sensitive to plants in the daisy or aster family, including chrysanthemums and ragweed, may also have an allergic reaction to calendula (usually a skin rash).
Calendula is also known to affect the menstrual cycle and should not be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Theoretically, calendula may affect conception when taken by a man or woman, so couples trying to get pregnant should not use calendula. *

From: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/calendula-000228.htm

*In animal studies, calendula has had effects on the uterus, and calendula has traditionally been thought to have harmful effects on sperm and to cause abortions. However, it is not clear if these effects occur with use of calendula on the skin.

For information on possible food/drug interactions, try here…http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/DVH/HerbsInteractions/0,3926,4092|Calendula%2Bofficinalis,00.html

A PRAYER TO THE FIRE GODDESSES

A PRAYER TO THE FIRE GODDESSES

 

Prepare an altar in fiery colours, with sparkling objects to

Catch the candlelight. In the centre, place three candles,

Orange, red and gold. As you praise each of these Goddesses

In turn, light her candle, and sit silently, receiving Her

Messages and blessings.

 

 

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Blessed be the Goddess of Creativity

Brigid , Bright One

Goddess of the forge.

Teach me to bear the fires of transformation,

The furnace that tempers my blade,

and makes me strong.

Be with me as I blaze my trail.

I light this candle in fiery offering to you,

Brigid , Goddess of Fire.

Blessed be the Goddess of Transformation,

Persephone , Courageous One,

the molten Kore of the Earth.

Teach me to enter the underworld

without fear, and to emerge

without regret.

Light my path with your torches.

I light this candle in fiery offering to you,

Persephone , Goddess of Fire.

Blessed be the Goddess of Faith

Hestia , Constant One,

Goddess of hearth and temple.

Teach me the lessons of commitment

and contentment,

service and celebration.

Warm me within and without.

I light this candle in fiery offering to you,

Hestia , Goddess of Fire.

 

 

About me.... we're all a little mad in here

About me:

What to say about ME! Let's just use some adjectives and spare you all the lengthy wordiness I am otherwise quite prone to do when writing. Gregarious, Personable, energetic & adventuresome as can be! Light hearted, Free Spirited, Gypsy at Heart and Soul, Kind hearted, silly, crazy now and then, occassionally boring but only when I am asleep, energetic and lazy all at the same time, easily entertained, not easily amused, regretful, introspective, opinionated, chatty cathy, sharing, caring, concerned citizen though lazy on action, doubtful, distrustful, guarded at times, open and ever trusting at others, led by instinct and a will to survive, SURVIVOR of soooo much...too much really, driven by guilt and motivated by Ego, spiritualy comfortable yet somewhat and blissfully uninformed, mother of wonderful children, friend to all, true friend to a few, wildchild at heart, did I meantion GYPSY?....defiant, lover of pushing the edge... and absolutely 100% uncontrollable by force. Can you imagine me yet? 5'3" (almost anyhow!) redwood colored hair w/ green eyes, soft & squishy girl but firm and strong in heart/mind/soul. I'm hard to really piss off but if you actually invest that much effort to get me there, WATCH OUT! That's just me. If ever I actually mature into "woman" status I'll keep ya posted. For now I plan to be eternally childlike in spirit at least.


.....I love my children and my grandsons...the essence of my heart.

.....I like plants of any kind, teddybears (especially Winnie the Pooh) and seashells..I really like to scrapbook but I never seem organized enough to get anything done..have literally thousands of photos! And of course Wicca and Witchcraft is my life path..I read tarot (or I try)..lol.....let's say that I am a work in continual progress. I am an Eclectic Witch.

......I walk my own path...always had trouble being a follower..

SL let me correct that...Doug Addict

My Favorite Music???

BLUES, BLUES AND MORE BLUES......But I still have a rock and roll heart ... ... ...Eric Clapton, Yardbirds, Cream, Delaney and Bonnie, John Mayall, Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin, George Harrison, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani, John McLaughlin, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble, Jimmy Vaughn and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Dr John, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Johnny Lang, BB King, Johnny Winter, John Lee Hooker., Robert Johnson, Elmore James, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Robert Cray, Muddy Waters, Smokin' Joe Kubek, Keb Mo', George Throughgood, Chaka Demus and the Pliers, Bob Marley and the Wailers, UB40, Ziggy Marley, Peter Tosh, Sting, Queen, Tom Petty, Robin Trower, Fat Boys, Salt n Peppa with Spinderella, Lit, 3 Doors Down, Kid Rock, Collective Soul, Pogues, Loreena McKennit, Barry White, Travelling Wilburys, The Highwaymen, Steve Miller Band 38 Special, Allman Bros, Skynyrd, Wet Willie, Little Feat, Black Oak Arkansas, Richie Blackmore, Alvin Lee, Derek Trucks, Dickie Betts, Warren Haynes, Government Mule, Jeff Healey Band, ZZ Top, Bonnie Raitt and a million others..easier to ask me what I don't like..lol


My Favorite Movies???

Big Trouble in Little China, Tank Girl, Vampires, From Dusk till Dawn, Sherlock Holmes Movies, Agatha Christie (Miss Marple and Hercule Peroit), Ladyhawke, Legend(not the jet li movie), Indiana Jones Series, Young Frankenstein Blazing Saddles, All Monty Python movies, all Hammer House of Horror movies..Anything by John Waters is my dirty little secret pleasure...I am now hooked on the Bourne Identy and Bourne Supremecy..and the Blade Series, and


My Favorite TV??

hmmm.. Bloodties, Torchwood, Dr Who, X Files; Strange; Poldergeist, the Legacy, Kolchack the Night Stalker (the original one), CSI (the Vegas One), Little Britain, Fr Ted, Hex, Lexx, Farscape, Family Guy, Vicar of Dibly, Our Family, Jeopardy (if they let me), NCIS, ABFAB, Highlader, and horror movies..lots of horror movies ..damn..I watch too much TV!

My Favotite Books???

anything by Robin Cook, Tony Hillerman, Stephen King, Sue Grafton, Anne Rice..I read and reread Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers.. I like Alice in Wonderland as well as Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights..and the Mary Stuart "Arthur, the King" Series (the Crystal cave, etc..I read any kind of witchy book, any celtic ancient history book,..Joseph Campbell, Carl Jung, Thomas Moore, Sarah Ban Breathnach, I read books of Buddist wisdom..and gnosticism ..I REALLY LIKE TO READ and will read just about anything..cereal boxes, milk cartons, etc...

My Favorite Quote...


Everyone has the potential to be a Hero..just be true to yourself and love yourself.

Demeter Blessing 10/10/12 spell a day

Demeter Blessing

 

 

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Color of the day: Topaz

Incense of the day: Honeysuckle

In ancient Rome, this day was part of a three-day celebration of the goddess Demeter, called Thesmophoria. Demeter was worshipped as a goddess of the harvest and growing things and the mother of Persephone. At this time of year, it is fitting to ask Demeter for a blessing for home, family, and a bountiful harvest (whether it is literal or metaphorical).

 

 

Assemble a bowl full of seasonal fruits and put them on your altar or a table outside. Light a white or silver candle and say:

"With these fruits, I call upon the goddess Demeter to bring me a happy home, a healthy family, and a bountiful harvest of all those things I need. So mote it be."

Eat some of the fruit, and feel yourself taking in the goddess's blessings with every sweet bite. Do

Don't foget to leave some fruit on your altar as an offering.

 

 

 

Autumn Gratitude

 

 

 

 

 

 

      Today for all of us, my prayer is "Please, give us a respite from all the crises." Our flight or fight button is jammed and we can barely put one foot in front of the other. So sit a while and I'll just put on the kettle.

 

      The task of getting through the day with all our loved ones accounted for and a roof still over our heads drains our energy, depletes our sense of security and diminishes our capacity for happiness, leaving us feeling exhausted and vulnerable. Nearly everyday we're inundated with a new reason to be scared—if it's not the collapse of the world markets, or a terrorist alert, it's fears about bird flu, a tsunami in our backyard or Yellowstone National Park blowing up. As Dorothy Parker so succinctly put it, "What fresh hell is this?"

 

     Which is why when challenging and unexpected Change occurs, Mother Providence hits the cosmic Pause button for a sacred time-out. We're stunned and we're meant to stop. I know this may be difficult for you, as it is for me, but think of what's going on now, today and tomorrow as a gift—a way to recalibrate the speed at which we're chasing after our days and clutching at the world's grains of sand. With any dramatic change in our circumstances, whether its good news or bad, there's information to assimilate, emotional wounds to lick, confusion to sort, closets to clear, brown boxes to pack, forms to fill out. There are new connections to make, wisdom to glean, truth to be revealed, forgiveness to be considered, mail to forward. But above all, there's gratitude to be offered for a safe deliverance from the Past before Spirit stamps our letters of transit to the Future.

 

 

 

 Let's take a look at the word that saps our strength so quickly and so often:

SCARED

"What difference do it make if the thing you scared of is real or not?" the glorious writer Toni Morrison wonders aloud, surely for all of us. Women have always known how to comfort the fears of others; we just don't remember to use the same tender, loving tactics on ourselves. So the next time you feel a random panic attack starting, take a deep breath, and transpose the "a" and the "c" in the word "scared" and you'll not only discover another word, but a world of difference. You'll uncover the

SACRED

Doesn't that make you feel better already? It works for me,every time. I'd also be willing to bet that your sacred, like mine, is very close—the walls surrounding you or the floorboards supporting you, even if they need a good scrub.

The best definition I ever heard of fear is "False Evidence Appearing Real". When I'm anxious I notice that my fears seem to be speculative, future-tense marauders. Will there be enough? What will I do? How will I cope?

 

 

 

    The best way I know to disarm fear is by keeping a Gratitude Journal, a polite daily thank-you note to the Universe—and a reminder to yourself of the very real blessings you have right now. In this moment. Small pauses that bring a smile or a sigh of relief during the day. We think it's the big moments that define our lives—the promotion, the new baby, the renovated kitchen, the wedding. But the narrative of our lives is written in the small, the simple and the common. The overlooked. The discarded. The reclaimed. Life is not made up of minutes, hours, days, weeks, months or even years, but of moments. You must experience each one before you can appreciate it.

     Now Autumn arrives, a change of season that's more a sense memory than a date on the calendar. Finally, the heat is passing. Gradually familiar surroundings don a rustic palate of jewel tones that dazzle with their beauty. Let October seduce you with her charms: taffy apples, mulled cider, raking leaves, arranging dried corn wreaths and filling cornucopias of autumn fruits , savory stews and Sunday roasts, the first fire of the season, making a scarecrow, mums in the front garden, sunflowers on the dining room table, pumpkin carving, pie making and the tremendous satisfaction of making do with whatever we've got, as we discover all we have is truly all we need, as long as we possess the soul knowledge of how blessed we truly are. Trust me, dearest friend, the world can't take this away…only you can turn the gift away.
 

 

      Wishing you a month of comfort, unexpected blessings, personal miracles, and a prayer that you may know Deep Joy,

Choose Love Everytime

Choose Love Everytime

 

 

 

What We Are Made Of....Choose Love

 

 
Love is often presented as the opposite of fear, but true love is not opposite anything. True love is far more powerful than any negative emotions, as it is the environment in which all things arise. Negative emotions are like sharks swimming in the ocean of love. All things beautiful and fearful, ugly and kind, powerful and small, come into existence, do their thing, and disappear within the context of this great ocean. At the same time, they are made of the very love in which they swim and can never be separated. We are made of this love and live our whole lives at one with it, whether we know it or not.

It is only the illusion that we are separate from this great love that causes us to believe that choosing anything other than love makes sense or is even possible. In the relative, dualistic world of positive and negative, darkness and light, male and female, we make choices and we learn from them. This is exactly what we are meant to be doing here on earth. Underlying these relative choices, though, is the choice to be conscious of what we are, which is love, or to be unconscious of it. When we choose to be conscious of it, we choose love. We will still exist in the relative world of opposites and choices and cause and effect, and we will need to make our way here, but doing so with an awareness that we are all made of this love will enable us to be more playful, more joyful, more loving and wise, as we make our way. Ultimately, the choices we make will shed light on the love that makes us all one, enabling those who have forgotten to return to the source.

This world makes it easy to forget this great love, which is part of why we are here. We are here to remember and, when we forget to remember again, to choose love.